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India:
How Exercise Makes Us Healthy & Happy By K.C. Kanwar, Health Tribune
June 10, 2003 India - According to the latest WHO estimates, inactive life-style is the biggest killer worldwide. Over 70-90 per cent cases of diabetes and cardiovascular cases can be prevented if we decide against being couch potatoes. Old vernacular maxim, "harkat mein barkat hai", stays medically substantiated. Exercise works wonders with the body. It benefits virtually all body systems. It tones up blood circulation, improves cardiac health and keeps body joints lubricated. It also helps maintain bone mass and arrests osteoporosis. Exercise improves muscle mass and muscle tone too — the latter become leaner, tighter and firmer. As one ages, muscles tend to atrophy and become weaker. We lose on an average about 150 gm of muscles every year after age 40 and concomitantly gain at least as much body fat. Once one is on regular exercise, this trend is reversed. Besides, there are quite a few less known benefits of exercise, which lowers the villains of circulating blood like sugar, cholesterol and triglyeerides as well as improves good (HDL) and bad cholesterol (LDL) ratio — all healthy parameters. Not many people know that exercise is the best means to increase blood levels of cardio-protective HDL — good cholesterol. Persistent exercise also improves the capacity of the heart coronary arteries by acquiring collaterals — small new arteries and capillaries which emerge around the semi-blocked coronary vessels. These collaterals compensate for the impaired blood flow to heart muscles. Exercise also supresses the blood-clotting process and works as a protective against stroke. Moderate but regular exercisers decrease the chances of having heart diseases or stroke by 50 per cent. Exercise helps to control glucose levels in the diabetics. It improves insulin sensitivity, thus reducing the risk of developing diabetes. It also improves the balancing of the body, thus minimising the risk of falls among the aged. Besides, exercise empowers brain, delays the onset of Alzheimer and mental dementia and helps reduce significantly depression and anxiety. Exercise acts as a mood elevator of no less significance inasmuch as it makes the brain release mood-elevating endorphins, the so-called "feel good" substances. Lately, exercise is known to even boost immunity, which gets dull with age. In fact, there is an endless list of exercisal benefits, which collectively increase longevity, retard ageing and improve the quality of life. Walking is the most popular, convenient and, perhaps, an ideal aerobic exercisal mode since it involves the maximum number of the body’s muscles and joints. Further, walking is beneficial for all age groups and even the oldies, who slide into inactivity making them overweight. Besides, walking can easily be tailored as per needs of the individual. A minimum of 20 minutes or half
an hour’s aerobic exercise (read walking or jogging) three times a week
is a must to keep one fit, agile and look younger (Readers Digest). Along
with balanced diet, physical exercise plays a vital role in achieving a
long disease-free life. Numerous studies have revealed that physically
active populations have better longevity vis-a-vis those which have a
sedentary and inactive life-style. Walking briskly (speed 3-4 km per hour)
in the morning leaves one distressed, fresh, alert and mentally more
energetic for the rest of the day. Copyright
© 2002 Global Action on Aging
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